Rural Program
Nearly one-third of Missoula County residents live in rural communities. Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking living in these areas often face barriers to safety and support, including limited access to services, transportation, and safe housing.
The Rural Program coordinates partnerships with local advocates, community-based organizations, rural schools, and local agencies to support access to services through partner organizations, strengthen coordinated community responses, train local professionals, and provide healthy relationships education in our rural communities.
In 2010, Missoula County partnered with neighboring Mineral County to expand the program’s reach. The Rural Program has been funded by the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, for more than ten years.
Trainings & Events
Rural Program staff and partners provide community-based outreach and education in rural communities through partner locations. For information on upcoming trainings, presentations, or events contact the Rural Program using the form below.
Do you or someone you know need help in Mineral County?
A Missoula County Rural Crime Victim Advocate is available to provide free and confidential assistance to victims of relationship violence, sexual assault, and stalking by appointment at 406-248-3830 or by drop ins, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mineral County Helpline Office (301 E. Second Ave in Superior).
This project is supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-24-GG-01024-RURA awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice.
Projects & Initiatives
To help prevent future violence, the Rural Program partners with Missoula and Mineral County educators to bring evidence-informed healthy relationships education into rural classrooms. The program also supports partner-led efforts that provide prevention education and support group opportunities.
From January through May 2026, the Rural Program partnered with four rural schools, leading 39 healthy relationship education sessions and reaching 179 students.
The Rural Program helps increase access to justice by connecting rural survivors with specialized civil legal services to support safety and stability. While the Rural Program does not provide legal representation directly, it partners with legal service providers to ensure eligible survivors can access high-quality legal support without prohibitive travel or cost.
From October 2024 to December 2025, 72 rural survivors received civil legal services, including assistance with protective orders, parenting plans, dissolutions, and other legal issues.
The Rural Program partners with local victim service organizations to enhance access to emergency housing, crisis intervention, safety planning, and advocacy for our rural communities.
From October 2024 to December 2025, 409 rural survivors received supportive services through the Rural Program.
Contact us
We welcome opportunities to collaborate on projects and to coordinate rural community outreach.